All Blacks captain Kieran Read’s Super rugby comeback soured the Crusaders comfortable 32-8 victory over the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday.
Read was making his first Super rugby appearance for the 2019 season but suffered an injury to his right leg which led to a lengthy spell of treatment on the field.
Read soldiered on to half time but was replaced at the break by coach Scott Robertson.
“Technically he has got a double haematoma,” Robertson told Reuters.
“He got two knocks in the same place and he seized up at halftime, so we took him off.”
Coach Robertson did not want to speculate when Read might return to Super rugby but did say with a smile that the injury could take “twice as long” as it was a double haematoma.
Robertson said that he was not concerned that Read would be able to get back up to speed when he returned.
“He went all right when he was on, he went a full 100,” said Robertson.
“Jeez, I thought he was going to ease himself back into the game, but in that first five minutes the amount of touches and tackles he made, it was pretty impressive.
“He was straight into it. It’s a credit to him to the amount of work he has done after a long period of time.
“I find it incredible that guys like him and Sam can play at that level after such a long time out.
“It’s a credit to the world class athletes they are.”